Romania's
Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu said that Romania taking over the
six-month rotating presidency of the European Council in first half
of 2019 is a national project, pointing out that there are logistics
as well as protocol problems in doing that.

"This
is a national project and we, together with Parliament and the
Government, have to understand that each and every one is involved in
the project. This is a project that indeed provides us with an
opportunity to be somehow visible on Europe's map and for six months
to be those facilitators that, starting from our national positions
as well as the interests of the EU overall, find good solutions to
the problems facing the EU," Melescanu told a debate on
Wednesday in Bucharest called "Romania's 2019 European Council
Presidency - Together to consolidate the European design."

He
argued that there are logistics problems with the takeover, saying
that support from Romania's Parliament, Government and Finance
Ministry is needed in the process. He mentioned to the point the fact
that Romania's permanent representation to the EU in Brussels is
housed in a building that will not cope with the requirements for the
takeover of the rotating presidency of the Council of the European
Union.

"We
cannot continue on just the annual budget approved for this process
and that provides means necessary for the start of preparations
ensuring the presidency. (...) We cannot undertake financial
obligations or make various acquisitions without first being certain
there is annual budgeting throughout 2019, including the first part
of the year, when Romania effectively becomes the president. (...) We
are facing very serious logistics and protocol problems," said
Melescanu.

He
went on to say that EU's foreign affairs are one of the themes that
could bring Romania up for discussion when taking over the rotating
presidency. Melescanu added that Bucharest or other Romanian c ity
could host a summit of the EU's Eastern Partnership.

Other
themes that could be brought to the fore by Romania could be
continuing the EU's enlargement; Black Sea security developments;
latest developments in the Danube Strategy and migration strategy;
assessing the EU's security and defence policy

Unfortunately,
the old adage that the Black Sea is Romania's good neighbour has not
rung true lately; on the contrary. It is one of the areas where there
is a very serious accumulation of arms and conflicts that can always
lead to events that none of us wants," said Melescanu.

He
pointed out that the takeover of the presidency of the Council of the
European Union is a national project in which all players have to get
involved to secure its success.

"This
will be a big opportunity for Romania to show up as is in a time of
remarkable developments, a Romania that truly is a worthy EU member;
our country projects for the presidency should be the ambition of
integrating ourselves and being as close to the hard core of the EU
as possible, which can only be achieved through cooperation in
matters such as the Schengen Area, by entering the Euro-Zone, or by
our involvement and participation in EU's common security and defence
policy," added Melescanu.

At
the debate, Birchall said a new building has been identified to host
Romania's Permanent Representation in Brussels and that a memorandum
to this end is expected in the weeks to come.